Anthony Sabatini

Last updated

Anthony Sabatini
Sabatiniheadshot 2024-25.jpg
Official portrait, 2024
Member of the Lake County Commission
from the 1st district
Incumbent
Assumed office
November 5, 2024
Website Official website
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
Rank Captain
Unit Florida Army National Guard

Anthony Frank Sabatini (born October 20, 1988) is an American politician, attorney, and Florida Army National Guard officer serving as a Lake County commissioner since 2024. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2018 to 2022. Once a strong supporter of President Donald Trump, [2] [3] Sabatini has been an outspoken critic of Donald Trump since his endorsement of Daniel Webster over Sabatini in 2024. [4] [5] [6]

Contents

A native of New York, Sabatini graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree and earned his Juris Doctor from the Levin College of Law in 2017. After beginning his legal career, Sabatini was elected to the city commission of Eustis, Florida in 2016, where he served until his resignation to run for the Florida House of Representatives in 2018.

In 2022, he was an unsuccessful candidate in Florida's 7th congressional district Republican primary, losing to Cory Mills. In 2024, Sabatini was an unsuccessful candidate for Florida's 11th congressional district, withdrawing his candidacy after President Trump endorsed his opponent. [4] [7] That same day, he filed to run for Lake County Commission. [7]

In August 2024, Sabatini narrowly defeated incumbent Republican Doug Shields in the Lake County Commission's 1st district election. In November 2024, he considered running for Florida's 6th congressional district in the 2025 special election until President Trump endorsed state senator Randy Fine. [8] Later that month, Sabatini reaffirmed his intention to run for Congress in the future. [8]

Early life and education

Sabatini was born in Smithtown, New York, in 1988 and moved with his family to Florida the following year. [9] In a high school photo, Sabatini and a friend were pictured in blackface. [10] [11] In his freshman year of college, he was photographed in brownface. [12] [13] He earned bachelor's degrees in philosophy and history from the University of Florida in 2012 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law in 2017. [14]

Career

Sabatini is an infantry officer in the Florida Army National Guard. He was appointed to the City of Eustis Code Enforcement Board and later elected to the Eustis City Commission in 2016 and resigned from the office on April 30, 2018, to focus on his campaign for the Florida House of Representatives. [15] [16]

Florida House of Representatives (2018–2022)

State Representative Anthony Sabatini.jpg
Anthony Sabatini.jpg
Sabatini's official portraits during his first (left) and second (right) terms in the Florida legislature

Sabatini defeated Monica Wofford and Shannon Elswick, to win the August 28, 2018 Republican primary, winning 46.7% of the vote. [17] In the November 6, 2018 general election, Sabatini defeated Democrat Cynthia Brown, taking 56.48% of the vote. [18] [19]

Sabatini being sworn in as a Florida state representative, November 2018 New members of the Florida House of Representatives are sworn in by Judge Larry Metz from Fifth Judicial Circuit Court during Organization Session.jpg
Sabatini being sworn in as a Florida state representative, November 2018

In 2019, Sabatini proposed amendments to make the Swamp Restaurant in Gainesville a landmark to protect it from demolition. [20] [21] The restaurant was temporarily closed, but not demolished, and eventually returned. [22]

On January 13, 2020, Sabatini introduced HB 1365, which would have made it a felony for doctors to provide hormone therapy or gender reassignment surgery for transgender minors. [23]

In 2020, Sabatini introduced legislation allowing Floridians with valid concealed carry licensed to carry firearms on public colleges and universities. [24] [25] [26]

Sabatini has sponsored legislation to enshrine eight-year term limits for Florida's school boards. [27] [28] [29] [30]

Sabatini has introduced legislation to ban red light cameras in Florida. [31] [32] [33]

2022 U.S. House campaign

On March 8, 2021, Sabatini announced that he would challenge incumbent Republican representative Daniel Webster for Florida's 11th congressional district. He later suggested he might not wind up running against Webster due to redistricting. [34] On June 7, 2021, he announced he would challenge incumbent Democratic representative Stephanie Murphy for Florida's 7th congressional district due to redistricting. [35]

Sabatini lost the 2022 Republican primary to Cory Mills in August 2022. [36]

2024 U.S House campaign

In April 2023, Sabatini declared his candidacy for the U.S House of Representatives, again challenging Daniel Webster for the Republican nomination for Florida's 11th congressional district. [37] He withdrew from the race in June 2024 after Donald Trump endorsed Webster. [38]

Lake County Republican Party (2022–2024)

In December 2022, Sabatini was elected chair of the Lake County Republican Party. [39]

In December 2024, he stepped down as county party chair and endorsed Carey Baker for the position, who was defeated by Taylor Yarkosky. [1] Following a February 2025 county party meeting in which Florida Highway Patrol officers removed new county party members, Sabatini criticized Yarkosky's leadership and called for a new county party chair. [40]

Lake County Commission (2024–present)

In August 2024, Sabatini was elected to the Lake County Commission, defeating incumbent Republican Doug Shields. [41]

Political positions

Sabatini, Karoline Leavitt, and Charlie Kirk speaking with attendees at the Tampa Convention Center, 2022 Anthony Sabatini, Karoline Leavitt & Charlie Kirk (52250869732).jpg
Sabatini, Karoline Leavitt, and Charlie Kirk speaking with attendees at the Tampa Convention Center, 2022

Gun rights

Sabatini has supported constitutional carry legislation to allow Floridians to carry concealed firearms without first acquiring a permit. Sabatini described permit requirements as a requirement for persons "to beg government permission and pay money for the exercise of their fundamental God-given right." [42] Sabatini introduced constitutional carry legislation in 2020, 2021, and 2022; the legislation was endorsed by Republican governor Ron DeSantis but did not pass the Republican-controlled legislature; Sabatini criticized several fellow Republicans for failing to back the bill. [43] [44]

Black Lives Matter protests

In response to the protests following the murder of George Floyd, Sabatini posted a tweet that suggested that protesters who unlawfully enter businesses would be met with an AR-15 rifle; he posted a similar suggestion on his Facebook page with the caption "Don't Tread on Me". [45] The sentiment was widely condemned, with Florida State Representative Cindy Polo deriding it as "clearly inflammatory" and "inciting violence". [46] Nikki Fried, Florida Agriculture Commissioner, called for Sabatini to be reprimanded. House Speaker José Oliva found no "direct or preemptive threat" in Sabatini's comments and did not take punitive actions. [47] Sabatini also drew criticism from Florida state senator Shevrin Jones for referring to Black Lives Matter protesters in Minneapolis as "disgusting, lawless thugs" in a tweet calling for their arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment. [48]

During the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, following the shooting and death of three men in Kenosha, WI, Sabatini tweeted "KYLE RITTENHOUSE FOR CONGRESS." [49]

"Cancel culture" and the media

Sabatini has made multiple critical statements of "cancel culture", tweeting that, "If Socrates was out philosophizing in American society today, he would be cancelled real quick". [50] He has called for repealing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, arguing that it allows online platforms to remove conservative perspectives. [51]

COVID-19

Sabatini on the House floor during the COVID-19 pandemic, April 2021 Anthony Sabatini confers with members on the House floor.jpg
Sabatini on the House floor during the COVID-19 pandemic, April 2021

In July 2020, a Florida resident filed an ethics complaint against Sabatini in connection with his involvement in several mask mandate lawsuits. [52] The complaint was in response to a press release about the lawsuit that printed Sabatini's official House email address as the press contact and alleged that this violates a Florida State Statute about misuse of public position. [52]

Sabatini has filed at least 14 lawsuits during the COVID-19 pandemic challenging local ordinances requiring the use of face coverings. [53] On September 2, 2020, he received his sixth loss from the filed suits that have so far been heard. [54]

Donald Trump

Sabatini has proposed renaming the Florida section of U.S. Route 27 the "President Donald J. Trump Highway". [55] During Trump's reelection bid announcement in Orlando on June 18, 2019, a rally goer attacked an Orlando Sentinel reporter filming the event. The reporter tweeted the encounter, to which Sabatini replied "MAGA," for which he was again criticized for supporting violence. [56]

Sabatini has repeatedly supported Republican attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, which Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden. He has repeated disproven conspiracy theories about the election, and has called for audits of the results in Hillsborough County, Miami-Dade County, Broward County, Palm Beach County, and Orange County. [57]

Following the FBI's August 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago, Sabatini said Florida should "sever all ties with DOJ immediately" and added that "any FBI agent conducting law enforcement functions outside the purview of our State should be arrested upon sight". [58]

Supreme Court

Sabatini criticized President Joe Biden's pledge to nominate a Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court following Justice Stephen Breyer's announcement that he would retire, tweeting, "Biden MUST be impeached for his anti-white racist exclusion of any white nominee to the Supreme Court". [59] [60]

Francisco Franco

In 2022, Sabatini quoted Spanish dictator Francisco Franco on Twitter, tweeting that “I answer only to God and to History.” In response to criticism of Sabatini's tweet, Sabatini posted a picture of Franco with President Dwight Eisenhower and stated that critics of his tweet were "extremely un-American." [61]

Electoral history

2016 Eustis City Commission Seat 2
PartyCandidateVotes%
Nonpartisan Anthony Sabatini 3,414 46.1
Nonpartisan Brandon Avallone1,18616
Nonpartisan Michael Strong2,80437.8
Total votes7,404
2018 Florida House of Representatives 32nd district Republican primary
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Anthony Sabatini 8,278 46.7
Republican Shannon Elswick5,17029.2
Republican Monica Wofford4,27624.1
Total votes17,724 100.00
2018 Florida House of Representatives 32nd district
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Anthony Sabatini 46,446 56.5
Democratic Cynthia Brown35,78443.5
2020 Florida House of Representatives 32nd district
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Anthony Sabatini 63,164 55.7
Democratic Stephanie Dukes50,22644.3
2022 Florida's 7th Congressional District Republican primary [62]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Cory Mills 27,452 38.1%
Republican Anthony Sabatini 17,059 23.6%
Republican Brady Duke11,01015.3%
Republican Ted Edwards4,1975.8%
Republican Russell Roberts3,9705.5%
Republican Erika Benfield3,9125.4%
Republican Scott Sturgill3,0554.2%
Republican Al Santos1,4802.1%

Personal life

Sabatini is Italian Catholic. He is married to his wife Francheska, who unsuccessfully ran for county judge in 2024. [63] [41] They live in Lake County, Florida.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Garisto, Julie (December 23, 2024). "Contested victory: Yarkosky new leader of Lake County Republicans". Daily Commercial . Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  2. ↑ Daly, Michael (February 15, 2024). "Trump-Loving Pol Wants to Execute Climate Change Protesters". The Daily Beast . Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  3. ↑ Sartoris, Katie (January 20, 2021). "Sabatini proposes renaming U.S. 27 The 'President Donald J. Trump Highway'". Daily Commercial . Retrieved November 30, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Ogles, Jacob (November 26, 2024). "Anthony Sabatini says Donald Trump 'barely knows what's going on' when endorsing candidates". Florida Politics . Retrieved June 15, 2025.
  5. ↑ @AnthonySabatini (June 12, 2025). "Now the Trump Administration will slow them down even MORE to accommodate Big Business" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ↑ @AnthonySabatini (June 15, 2025). "This was one of the worst weeks in the history of America First" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. 1 2 Fox, Greg (June 14, 2024). "Anthony Sabatini drops out of Republican primary for House District 11 after Trump endorses opponent". WESH . Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  8. 1 2 Ogles, Jacob (November 26, 2024). "Anthony Sabatini won't run in CD 6 Special Election". Florida Politics . Retrieved June 15, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Anthony Frank Sabatini - Florida Candidate". Transparency USA. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  10. ↑ Brice-Saddler, Michael (February 7, 2019). "A politician wore blackface to dress as his friend. They call it a 'silly high school prank.'". The Washington Post . Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  11. ↑ Lemongello, Steven (February 5, 2019). "State Rep. Anthony Sabatini dismisses Florida Democratic chair's call for his resignation over high school 'blackface' photo". The Orlando Sentinel . Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  12. ↑ Wolf, Colin (February 7, 2019). "Photo appears to show Florida Rep. Anthony Sabatini, who's still dealing with a blackface scandal, wearing brownface". Orlando Weekly . Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  13. ↑ Lemongello, Steven (February 15, 2019). "Rookie Rep. Anthony Sabatini draws fire from GOP leader, critics. The session hasn't even started yet". Orlando Sentinel . Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Florida House of Representatives - Anthony Sabatini - 2018 - 2020 ( Speaker Oliva )". myfloridahouse.gov. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  15. ↑ McNiff, Tom (May 1, 2018). "Sabatini steps down from Eustis Commission". Daily Commercial. Retrieved December 1, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Eustis names Holland to fill Sabatini's seat".
  17. ↑ "Florida Department of State - Election Results". results.elections.myflorida.com. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Florida Election Watch - State Representative". floridaelectionwatch.gov. Archived from the original on November 30, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  19. ↑ "District map at www.myfloridahouse.gov website" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 18, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  20. ↑ Ellwood, Karina (April 18, 2019). "Florida lawmaker proposes amendment to make The Swamp Restaurant a landmark". The Independent Florida Alligator. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  21. ↑ Marr, Madeline (April 19, 2019). "Popular Gator Nation bar The Swamp faces wrecking ball. Lawmaker joins fight to save it". Miami Herald . Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  22. ↑ Richardson, Kalia (December 13, 2020). "The Swamp restaurant to return to Gainesville in new location". The Independent Florida Alligator. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  23. ↑ Lipscomb, Jessica (February 4, 2020). "Nonbinary Broward Candidate Confronts Florida Rep Sponsoring Anti-Trans Bill". Miami New Times . Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  24. ↑ Patrick, Craig (December 29, 2020). "Florida lawmaker confident legislature will allow guns on college campuses". Fox13news.com. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  25. ↑ "Florida Rep. Anthony Sabatini shoots for 'campus carry' concealed gun permits yet again in 2021 session". Orlando Weekly . The News Service of Florida. December 4, 2020. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  26. ↑ "Anthony Sabatini pulls trigger on 'campus carry' legislation". Floridapolitics.com. November 30, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  27. ↑ Solochek, Jeffrey S. (January 21, 2020). "Florida lawmakers renew push for school board term limits". Tampa Bay Times . Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  28. ↑ "Florida lawmaker files another school board term limit proposal". WJXT. December 1, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  29. ↑ Saunders, Jim (January 29, 2020). "Florida House Republicans are pushing for term limits on county school-board members". Orlando Weekly . News Service of Florida. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  30. ↑ Sartoris, Katie. "School board term limits one step closer to the voters". Daily Commercial. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  31. ↑ Rousseau, Beth (January 16, 2021). "Florida lawmaker pushes ban on red light cameras". WFLA. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  32. ↑ "Rep. Sabatini files bill again to abolish red-light cameras in Florida". Orlando Sentinel . December 7, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  33. ↑ Synan, Mike (April 10, 2018). "Anthony Sabatini Wants to Eliminate Red Light Cameras for Good". Florida Daily. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  34. ↑ Fineout, Gary (March 8, 2021). "Pro-Trump Florida state lawmaker to challenge Webster". Politico . Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  35. ↑ Lemongello, Steven (June 8, 2021). "Anthony Sabatini says he will run for Congress against Stephanie Murphy". Orlando Sentinel .
  36. ↑ "Florida Seventh Congressional District Primary Election Results". The New York Times. August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
  37. ↑ Ogles, Jacob (April 3, 2023). "Anthony Sabatini challenging Dan Webster in CD 11". Florida Politics . Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  38. ↑ Fox, Greg (June 14, 2024). "Anthony Sabatini drops out of Republican primary for House District 11 after Trump endorses opponent". WESH. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  39. ↑ "Anthony Sabatini wins Lake GOP Chair". December 14, 2022.
  40. ↑ Mallon, Elaine (February 18, 2025). "Florida county GOP chairman accused of using highway patrol to remove new members from meeting". Washington Examiner . Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  41. 1 2 Towns, David (August 20, 2024). "Sabatini claims victory in Lake County Commission race". leesburg-news.com. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  42. ↑ Gipson, Rod; Elmhorst, Rick (April 6, 2022). "Packing Heat: Will Florida be the next constitutional carry state?". www.baynews9.com. Bay News 9. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  43. ↑ Wildman, Asher. "Constitutional carry would make Florida 25th permitless state for guns". www.mynews13.com. MyNews13. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  44. ↑ "GOP Rep. Anthony Sabatini Pushes 'Constitutional Carry' Special Session". miami.cbslocal.com. April 14, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  45. ↑ Lipscomb, Jessica (June 2, 2020). "Hialeah lawmaker says colleague's AR-15 tweet was inciting violence". Miami New Times . Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  46. ↑ Haughey, John (June 2, 2020). "Freshman Florida state representative under fire for 'openly calling for violence'". Washington Examiner . Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  47. ↑ Lemongello, Steven (May 31, 2020). "Lake County GOP Rep. Sabatini posts picture of AR15 rifle directed at protesters". Orlando Sentinel . Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  48. ↑ Gancarski, A. G. (May 30, 2020). "'Thugs' drive Florida House Twitter beef". Florida Politics. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  49. ↑ Sabatini, Anthony (November 21, 2020). "KYLE RITTENHOUSE FOR CONGRESS". Twitter. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  50. ↑ Knowles, Hannah (May 22, 2021). "A Florida Republican says Socrates would be canceled today. The philosopher faced a different fate: Execution". Fernandina Observer. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  51. ↑ Haughey, John (September 10, 2021). "Sabatini vows to be first Florida lawmaker to file a 'Texas Heartbeat Bill'". Fernandina Observer. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  52. 1 2 Schorsch, Peter (July 29, 2020). "Anthony Sabatini faces ethics complaint in connection to mask lawsuits". Florida Politics . Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  53. ↑ Tatham, Chelsea (August 3, 2020). "Florida lawmaker files lawsuit against Manatee County, one of 14 lawsuits against mask mandates". wtsp.com. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  54. ↑ "Judge sides with DeLand over Anthony Sabatini in mask lawsuit". Florida Politics. September 2, 2020. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  55. ↑ "Rep. Sabatini calls for renaming U.S. 27 the Donald J. Trump Highway". January 20, 2021.
  56. ↑ Bever, Lindsey; Iati, Marisa (February 19, 2019). "A Trump supporter was arrested after smacking a reporter's phone. 'MAGA,' a GOP lawmaker responded". The Washington Post . Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  57. ↑ Gilbraith, Alex (July 26, 2021). "Florida Rep. Anthony Sabatini calls for presidential election audit of Orange County, among others". Orlando Weekly . Archived from the original on January 5, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  58. ↑ Kilander, Gustaf (August 9, 2022). "Florida lawmaker calls for arrest of FBI agents and for state to 'sever all ties with DOJ immediately'". The Independent . Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  59. ↑ Sabatini, Anthony [@AnthonySabatini] (January 27, 2022). "Biden MUST be impeached for his anti-white racist exclusion of any white nominee to the Supreme Court" (Tweet). Retrieved January 30, 2022– via Twitter.
  60. ↑ Bazzle, Steph (January 27, 2022). "GOP Rep Wants Biden Impeached For "Anti-White Racist Exclusion" On SCOTUS". Hill Reporter. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
  61. ↑ Graziosi, Graig (October 20, 2022). "Florida Republican defends tweeting quote from Spanish dictator Francisco Franco". The Independent . Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  62. ↑ "Florida's 7th Congressional district election". Ballotpedia. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  63. ↑ Garisto, Julie (August 20, 2024). "Lake County primary election results 2024". Daily Commercial . Retrieved February 18, 2025.
Florida House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the 32nd district
2018–2022		Succeeded by
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